Shadow of the Abyss

Chapter 138: Prince of Hell, Astaroth

"Where here!!!!!" Reina cried, leaping up like a willful child. She stared up high towards the wall blanketed by archers and mages. Inscriptions lined the wall, glistering multicolored light. Below stood a large battalion of light and heavy infantry, riders armed with spears, axes, glaives, pikes, and tridents.

Seven large azure Mana Flames burned on pyres, resisting the black rain, lighting the city in a radiant glow.

"Wow!" Reina cried in awe. Taken by the vast army of eight thousand strong. She trotted forward with Kirr and Jorm by her side and Kuu on her head, following behind a merchant caravan being checked by Forwin Guardsman. When they were done and allowed in, Reina strode forward.

"Remove your Mask, and state your purpose!" One of the guardsmen, a gaunt old man with a beard of grey, ordered.

"Reina of the Moon," She introduced, removing her mask where her golden eyes shimmered like the light of the Sepith. "I'm here to meet someone within House Silvermane. They are expecting me."

'Aidios,' whispered the soldier, starstruck. He turned to his fellow guardsman, but he was busy inspecting Kirr and Jorm when he turned back to Reina. Her mask had already been dawned, to his dismay. Never before had he seen such an innocent girl, so pure it seemed to encompass the Goddess Aidios herself.

"Y-Y-You may enter." The old guard said. And Reina smiled, dancing past him with a giggle. She was greeted by a dozen sharp wooden barricades, with two or three soldiers positioned behind each one of them.

When Jorm and Kirr were allowed in, the trio maneuvered through the bleak streets devoid of people. Jorm had been the one leading, but even his expression dipped at the desolate streets, stained black by the week-long rain.

"Where did they hide all the people?" Kirr asked, looking around at the empty shops. He spun to Ren. "What about the kids, and—"

"No point worrying about it," Jorm said. "We're here to see master, not investigate." He pointed towards the large pointed manner to the far east of Farwin, "Master is there."

Excited, Ren lept ten meters into the air, gracefully landing on top of a roof like a nimble cat, and kicked off, vanishing into afterimages with Broken Moon. She swept across town, stopping when she saw the high iron gates to the Silvermanes estate.

"Hold!" One of the two guards shouted. "State your name!"

"Reina." She answered, and the two exchanged glances.

"Of the Moon, perhaps?" One of them asked.

A fanged smile lifted over her lips. "Yes. Reina of the Moon," she confirmed.

The two blossomed a smile and welcomed her in. She told them about the companions she'd lost in her haste and stepped inside. Happy with a jittery heartbeat, Ren tilted her nose up and sniffed the air. She shuddered and vanished into an afterimage.

She was in his annex in a few breaths, his room in another, and on top of him as he smiled up at her.

"Hiya, Art!"

***

"We don't like it," The Archbishop denounced with a scowl etched over his age wrinkles. "The boy is dangerous. You more than anyone should be able to tell."

Edwin didn't deny it. He had sensed that much already. Altair's smile might be warm, but his heart was ice. "Everyone can be dangerous." He said coldly. "Even you when you ordered my son to be castrated, lest he die of poison."

"Your bastard attempted to harm our Chosen," Archbishop Albert recounted. "Were we to allow such folly to befall the one chosen by Aidios?" He snorted. "Had your house been in order, this wouldn't have happened."

Edwin growled as if a whip branded his back. He knew Albert was right… he knew. But Vanro was still his flesh and blood. Same as Aria.

"I didn't come here to debate with you. Will you allow me to seize Lord Dune's estate?" Edwin retorted

"No."

"Then we lose two sixth circles." Edwin declared, his voice ringing through empty halls. "The Sister of Silence allowed him to live. They did not sense any evil. Each of them has taken at least five of the Seven Oaths of Sepith. They are attuned to the powers of Order and Chaos. More than you or me.

So what's the issue!"

"I don't trust him."

"Aidios!" Edwin nearly struck him. " Albert! We are in the midst of a Hell Tide that might wipe out Farwin. The city my daughter is in. The city your Chosen is in. What does it bloody matter if you don't trust him!"

For a long while, the Archbishop said nothing. Edwin wasn't wrong, but neither was the hesitation he felt.

"I'll allow it. But I want him on the—"

"He has already asked me to be on the front lines," Edwin said and left without another word. Coldly, he strutted out of the cathedral to his carriage.

"My Lord, were you successful?" Stewert lorvel asked. But he didn't have much hope based on his Master's grimace.

"I was," Edwin said, entering his carriage.

"Then why do you—"

"Even the church doesn't trust Altair. Yet he's in my house. Beside my daughter. Am I too trusting?" Edwin asked, slumped over in his chair. He seemed older now, feeling his nearly two hundred years of age weighing him down. He was old… old when he met Syna, his late wife, and older now that she had passed.

"You are the Lord of the North, my Lord," The Stewert reminded him.

Edwin closed his eyes. " yes… I am." When he opened them, they were hard and cold. " then send word to my Banners. Tell them their Lord needs them in Forwin."

"For the Hell tide?" Lorvel hurriedly asked.

He shook his head. "For the King and The Church of the Sepith."

"Ooooooooooooooooooooooooommh"

Edwin growled, feeling the echo of the horn hum across the cobblestone, "It's started. The demons are here."

***

Lord Arsene Snow, Monarch of the Second Layer of Hell, had not been happy this past month. His son had been missing, and no one seemed to know where he stood.

It was said the fury of a Monarch was enough to even burn the Dimensional Rift that separated the Infinite number of higher Realms, known as Heaven's End. It was burning now. And the aura of the Nine Hell was bleeding into the Myriad.

"Calm yourself, my Master." Aynaet de Asmodeus said on one knee despite her playful nature towards her Master. She dared not raise her head. "If you don't, your body might explode."

"It's been nearly two months," Lord Snow said grimly.

"We have pinned his general location within the dungeon," Aynaet said calmly. " He is in the Realm of Baefor, Astaroth's domain. But it'll take more time to pinpoint his exact location."

"Baefor?" The Ashen King said grimly. "I've never heard of that."

"Neither have I. But our records show that it belongs to Astaroth."

When Babel's Tower was first erected, it had pulled the fragments of the shattered twelve realms together, leaving behind what was known as Prime Worlds. Dungeons, as the earthlings called them, were portals to the shattered regiments of the Twelve Realms.

It was said these realms were infinitely large in size, harboring so much life they required their own wheel of reincarnation. Now, they were broken, forged into tools for the Gods of the Tower to create dungeons.

"Thanatos and Zagreus," Arsene said. "Where are they?"

"They too were devoured, my Lord. The Transcendence managed to save more or less a majority of the offworlders but over seven commanders—"

"I care little of the details." Arsene had said, standing. "Astaroth eh… Beelzebubs little prince. I've had few interactions with that Fallen. How is he?"

"Your guess would be as good as mine. Astaroth keeps to himself, though I hear he possesses an insatiable hunger. Much like Lord Beelzebub. Though not as poised."

"Gluttony," Arsene cursed. "Beelzebub craved knowledge and followed after the Sin of Sloth to satiate his hunger… I wonder what does this Little Prince craves?" he mused aloud, drawing beside his knight. He looked down at her, to where she shuddered. Scared. "Tell me what you do know?"

"Beezubub cares little of his court, my lord," Ayaent said with haste. Patience had not been her Lord's virtue. "His focus lies on Genesis. Ever since he helped birth that world with Azazel, it's been his focus. This gives Astaroth time to do as he pleases. What it is.

I do not know. However… It revolves around prophecy."

"Yes… he created the Time Lords, didn't he." Arsene recounted. "Genesis is full of them."

"Time Manipulation is his specialty. It is believed that he was the one who created the concept of time. When it bore fruit, death raced after it." Aynaet said gracefully. "But after the day he fell… not much is known or written."

The Monarch went silent, his thoughts as mysterious as his smile. "Altair has his work cut out for him. Keep looking. Tenebrae can't help since Altair is technically in Babel's Tower. But do ask. Perhaps she might be able to hint at something if Baefor is within the Forgotten Realms and is still under Astaroth's control.

There are sure to be lesser demons or worse."

"My Lord, are you not worrying too much? You were facing Prince's around that age yourself." Aynaet said almost wistfully.

"True… but Astaroth is no devil or demon. But a true Fallen Angel of the Eternal Heavens."